Coming Soon: Jupiter Ascending (2014)

The newest film written and directed by The Wachowskis, Jupiter Ascending, is a return to science fiction and action in a universe more accessible than our own where interplanetary shipping is business as usual and the Earth is but a chess piece on a planetary chess board. Channing Tatum is Caine Wise, a genetically engineered hunter sent to Earth to find Jupiter Jones, played by Mila Kunis. Jupiter’s fate is much grander than her station in life would lead her to believe and the powers that be get nervous when she starts to learn her destiny.

Fortunately, unlike some trailers, we aren’t spoon fed the plot. Without much knowledge of the stories intricacies, I can’t wait to see some of these visuals in the theater. The backdrops to some scenes looks absolutely incredible. John Toll is taking cinematographer duties coming off of the unbelievably successful Iron Man 3 and The Wachowskis last film, Cloud Atlas. I thought the use of color and lighting in Cloud Atlas was gorgeous. The listing of actors was impressive but the cinematography and score of Cloud Atlas were the reasons I saw it at the theater.

Speaking of film scores, the composer for Jupiter Ascending is Michael Giacchino, who has worked on Pixar films, the newest Star Trek films and Speed Racer. In a 2013 article with SFX magazine, Giacchino said that he was working on recording the music before the film had even finished filming. I’ve always pictured John Williams recording the music for Star Wars with scenes from the movie projected overhead. I find it fascinating because the scenes can be choreographed and shot in harmony with the music instead of editing the music down to fit the film.

I know critics and even fans can be derisive of The Wachowskis efforts in the past. The Matrix sequels weren’t perfect and Speed Racer was an interesting take on the cartoon but you can’t deny they gave us complex, colorful worlds with their movies. Their last film, Cloud Atlas, was very much a fresh breath of cinematic air for me. I’m truly looking forward to Jupiter Ascending and I’m interested to see if there’s depth to the story, or if it’s just an aesthetically pleasing film.

Will Jupiter ascend, or will it fade into the background lost in a summer of big blockbusters? Let me know what you think in the comments below.